Steven Holt: “As the President has designated this month as National Family Caregivers Month, I rise to give honor and to recognize…”

“As the President has designated this month as National Family Caregivers Month, I rise to give honor and to recognize the tens of millions of Americans and the million New Jerseyans who provide loving care for family members and friends living with disabilities and illnesses. Caregiving is not easy. The caregivers themselves face physical and mental health complications. Some are working with almost unbelievable endurance. Some of these caregivers are part of the ``sandwich'' generation, providing care for their children as well as their parents. There are economic costs as well. U.S. employers estimate the cost to be about $34 billion a year in lost productivity. I look forward to working with my colleagues here in Congress to provide caregivers with the help they need--respite care, a reauthorized Older Americans Act, tax credits. Just because the CLASS Act will not be implemented does not mean the need to provide care will go away. We have work to do. ____________________”